Abstract

Recreation and exercise are important for all children, regardless of their mental capacity. Since children who are mentally retarded frequently have poor coordination so in some communities, there is a tendency to exclude mentally retarded children from exercise programs. This sort of exclusion may be more difficult for them to be physically active in the �usual� programs which may contribute to their lassitude weight gain leading to some conditions of ill-health. So far research works in the field of children with special needs are concerned there is a real dearth. Based on available literature it is somehow clear that very few studies have been conducted to analyze the effects of fitness training on the children with mental retardation. The author being a professional in the field of physical Education and sport premeditated to accomplish a study entitled �Fitness contours of trained and untrained students with mental retardation a comparative analysis.� The key objective of the researcher was to locate the impact of exercise on fitness profile of mentally retarded children. For the very study the investigator selected fifteen trained and fifteen untrained students from Kolkata Monovikash Kendra and Howrah Vashabikash Kendra within the age range 14-20 years as subjects. The children of Kolkata Monovikash Kendra were involved in a regular programme of exercise in their curriculum while the other doesn�t. With a view to compare their fitness standards the researcher incorporated a suitable fitness battery. From data analysis the author arrived at the conclusion that the children who got exposure in physical activity performed better in most of the fitness attributes but performed significantly better in 25 mt run and bent arm hang tests

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